Pneumatic wind musical instrument



(N0 Medel.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1'.

I W. D. PARKER.

PNEUMATIC WIND MUSIGALINSTRUMENT. No. 394,006. Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

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(WW I (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. D. PARKER,

PNEUMATIC WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

No. 394,006. Patented Dec. 4, 1888.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OEEicE.

\VILLIAM D. PARKER, OF IVORCESTER, )IASSACIII'SETTS, ASSIGNOR TO THE AEOLIAX ORGAX AND MUSIC COMPANY, OF MERIDEN, CONNECICI T.

PNEUMATIC WIND MUSICAL INSTRUMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 894,006, dated December 4, 1888. Application filed May '7, 1883. $erial No. 273,092. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern; In the drawings, A denotes the action-board Be it known that I, \YILLIAM I). PARKER, i or seat-piece containing the windways, ducts,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at 1 or pneumatic passages (two or more) which \Vorcester, in the county of orcester and it is desired to couple and uncouple in the 5 State of Massachusetts,have invented certain operation of the instriunent. 'lhese pneunew and useful Improvements in Pneumatic matic passages may be the ducts leading from Musical Instruments, of which the following, a tracker-range to the pneumaties which optogether with the accompanying drawings, is j erate or control the valves of sounding dea specification sufiiciently full, clear, and exi vices, or the pneumatic control]ing-duct and 60 To act to enable persons skilled in the art to l a duct leading across to another octave or which this invention appertains to make and 1 other interval; or, in other instances, said pas use the same. sages may be the controlling-dLn-ts that lead The object of my present invention is to to separate sets of pneumatics or to two parts provide a simple, practical, and efficient pneul of the action, or to any pneumatic devices that 6 matic coupler for making and breaking pneurequire to be coupled in similar manner.

matic connections in musical instruments, As herein illustrated, I have shown my insaid coupler being adapted for use in combivention as employed in combination organs nation with the windways or air-inlet pasor instruments to be operated manually or sages that lead to actuating-1meumatics from mechanically, as desired, wherein 1) denotes 7o a manual-key action, and an automatic or the windway or passage from atracker-range. music-sheet act-i011 in combination pneumatic the inlet-ducts of which are opened and organs and similar instruments, or for coupclosed by a traveling music-sheet; and c, the ling the windways pertaining to separate sets passage leading to the pneumatic that works of pneumatic actions in pneumatically-operor controls the valve of the reed-duct orsoundated instruments of this class; also, for coupproducing devices, while (1 is the windway ling octaves or other intervals in pneumatic from a tracker, the ducts of which are coninstruments, or for coupling and uncoupling trolled by valves actuated by manual keys, the the tracker-ducts or windways to connect the passages being located as in Fig but it will actuating or controlling pneumatics in autobe understood that the general disposition and 80 o matic musical instruments, to render the same arrangement of the passages and parts of the or any part thereof operative or non-operainstrument, except in their immediate cont ive, at the will of the operator, by the manection with the coupler, can be such as most nipulation of a suitable action-stop. convenient or as required in any particular To this end myinvention consists of a coupstyle of instrument wherein this coupler is 8 3 5 ling device for stopping and connecting two employed.

or more pneumatic ducts or windways 0011- The pneumatic passages at the position structed and organized for operation as herewhere they are to be coupled are severally inafter explained, and in the combination of brought to the surface of the seat-piece A and such coupling device with other parts in a there terminate or have openings adjacent to 90 4o pneumatic musical instrument action. each other, as indicated at b and 0. (See Figs.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a part plan Qand 3.) Series of these passages correspondpart horizontal section showing my improved ing to a set of reeds or scale of sound devices coupler. Fig. 9 is a vertical section at line and their operating-piteumatics are disposed so as, Fig. 1, showing the parts in uncoupled in series along an extended seat-piece, sub- 5 position. Fig. 3 is a similar section showing stantially as illustrated in Fig. l, and at conthe parts in coupled position. Fig. aisa vervenient distances apart to accommodate the tical section at line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a reed-spacing or spacing of their pneumaticvertical sectional view showing the adaptavalve operators.

tion of my pneumatic coupler in a combina- D indicates a flexible diaphragm arranged I00 tion-organ action. Figs. 6, T, S, 9, and 10 over the open ends of the passages b c and illustrate modifications of construction. l resting on the seat-piece A, where it is retained by a board or strip, E, provided with a series of chambers, 6, corresponding with the position of the passages and with intermediate partitions, E, which board is fixed on top of the seat-piece, its edges 6 and partitions E resting upon the diaphragm D and holding it securely to the seat or action-board, excepting those portions, (7, correspon din gwith the base of the chambers c, which are free and movable. The diaphragm, or that portion thereof which forms the valve for passages to be coupled, is thus closely confined to the seat about its circumscribing edges, while its central portion can rise and fall in relation to the surface of the seat without admit-ting the external air beneath the diaphragm.

F indicates a lifter attached to the diaphragm D, for raising the movable portion (1 of said diaphragm from the seat A while its edges are confined, thus forming a pocket which will establish pneumatic connection across the space between the ends of the passages l) and 0, while excluding the external air therefrom. Said lifter is in the present instance a block or strip of wood having an outwardly-extended arm, F, and a fiat head, which is secured in any suitable manner to the center of the'diaphragm D. An operator, G, is provided for depressing the arm F to raise the diaphragm by the tilting of the block, as illustrated in Fig. The operator G can be of any suitable construction, and is connected with a stop or pull, P, in suitable manner for operating the lifters when the stop P is drawn out. Said operator G can be a bar to simultaneously operate the entire series of lifters, or a finger to operate a single litter or any number of them, one or more, as desired.

I-I indicates a spring for forcing the lifter and diaphragm down to the seat, where it acts as a valve to stop the passages 11 and c. This spring can be arranged in any suitable manner to act upon the coupler. In Figs. 1 to 4: it is shown as a bent wire acting on a pitmanpin, 71, passed through the top of the board E; but any other arrangement of springs accomplishing equivalent result can be used, if preferred, and such springs can be placed within the chamber over the tops of the lifters; or

the springs may in some cases be omitted where the gravity of the lifters or exhaust action in the passages is sufficient for closing down the diaphragm.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a coupler combined with a simple combination-organ. In this I "indicates the pneumatic for operating the reed-duct valve I. R is the reed or sounding device; J, the wind-chest, from which the air is exhausted in the usual manner by any well-known bellows or exhausting mechanism.

' B indicates the tracker-range for the musicsheet M, which is arranged to travel over the same by the winding-rolls L L in well-known manner for controlling the inlet of air to the ducts or passages b. C is a. tracker-range having the series of ducts 0', controlled by valves m, actuated by manual keys K.

\Vhen the coupler is in position, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, the pneumatics I will be controlled by action of the manual keys, the ducts of the music-sheet tracker B being then uncoupled or disconnected from the windways 0, that lead to the pneumatics. Then by drawing the stop P the lifters F are caused to raise the diaphragm D, as in Fig. 3, thus coupling the ducts b of the tracker I with the passages 0, leading into the pneumatics, and the pneumatics will then be under control of the music-sheet for playing in accordance with the perforations thereof. At the same time accompaniment may, if desired, be played manually by the keys K. Any wellknown form of pneumatic can be substituted in place of pneumatic I, to be operated as explained.

My improved coupler may be employed for coupling octaves or other intervals, in which case the passage 0, Figs. 2 and 3-3, may represent the controlling-passage connecting the tracker and the pneumatic, while the passage 1) may represent the cross-passage leading to the next octave or interval to be coupled therewith.

In Fig. 0 I have shown a modification of my coupler, wherein the lifter F is arranged to be actuated by a pneumatic, G which can be worked by pressure induced by the instrument bellows or exhausters and rendered operative or non operative for lifting the coupler-diaphragm D by opening and closing the pneumatic inlet-passage g in any wellknown or convenient manner.

In Figs. 7 and 8 I have shown a modification in which the coupler-pocket is formed by a valve, D, working within an air-tight chamber, (2 the lifter in this instance being a rod or wire that passes through a close'packing, f, and said lifter can be actuated by any-suitable means t'or coupling and uncoupling the pneumatic passages.

In Figs. 9 and 10 I show a section and plan views of a modification adapted for simultaneously coupling with more than two pneumatic passages. In this the lifter F is connected to the center of a circular diaphragm, D, which is circumferentially attached to the seat in which the several passages terminate, and said litter is provided with a rod, F and lever G for actuating said diaphragms, in connection with a device, G, for depressing the arm of the lever, and a coiled spring is employed for forcing the diaphragm or valve down to its seat.

Among the advantages incident to my invention may be mentioned its simplicity of construction and operation. The flexible diaphragm working in the direction of the exhaust effectually cuts off the pneumatic passages when uncoupled, while the closepocket formed when the diaphragm israised pre- I vents any leakage of external air'into the passages.

What I claim as of my invention, and desire i to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A coupler for pneumatic musical instruments, consisting of a seat having the pneumatic passages terminating thereat, in combination with a diaphragm or valve disposed thereon for closing said passages, with its circumscribing edges confined to said seat to exclude the entrance of air and its central part movable, and a litter for raising the movable part of said diaphragm to form a pocket that pneumatically connects said passages, substantially as set forth.

In a pneumatic musical instrument, the combination of a seat having a plurality of pneumatic passages terminating thereat, a diaphragm or valve having its circnmscribing edges confined to said seat to exclude the entrance of external air and its central part movable, a litter for raising said diaphragm from the seat to form a pocket that pneumaticallv connects said passages, an operatingbar for actuating said litter, and a stop or pull for throwing the same into and out of position, substantially as set forth.

33.,In a pneumatic musical instrument, the

combination, with a tracker, the pneumatics, ing coi'itrollingducts c, of the music -sheet and air ducts or passages leading thereto, of

a chamber into which said passages or airducts open adjacent to each other, a movable valve or diaphragm for stopping said openings, closely confined at its edges, a litter connected with said diaphragm. for raising a portion thereof to allow air to pass from one duct into the other, and connections for working said lifter, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

at. In a pneumatic musical instrument, the

tion thereof, and a seat-piece through which the pneumatic inlets and tracker-passages are carried and open in adjacent pairs, as I) c, of the flexible diaphragm-strip 1), covering the series of openings in said seat, the board E, fixed thereon, and having chambers e, with partitions E and edges e that confine said diaphragm at a circumscril ing limit about the'several pairs of openings, the series of litters F, severall attached to the diaphragm within the respective chambers and projecting therefrom invan arm, F, the operatingbar G, and depressing-springs ll, tor the purposes set forth.

5. In a pneumatic musical instrument, the combination, with the sound devices and pneumatics that control the action of the same, of a music-sheet tracker and a manualkev tracker, each provided with air-d ucts that jointlylead into said pneumatics, and a coupler disposed between one of the trackers and the pneumatics for coupling and uncoupling the ducts of said tracker.

U. The combination,with pneumatics l,l1avtracker ll having air-ducts b the manual tracker having air-ducts c said duets re- 7 combination, with a set of sounding devices, 3

their valves, pneumatics that govern the acspectively leading to the pneumatic ducts c, and a coupler for coupling and uncoupling the air-ducts of the music-sheet tracker therewith, substantially as set forth.

ll'itness mv hand this 28th day of April, A. D. 1993.

'WILLIAM D. PARKER. \Vitnesses:

CHAS, H. BURLEIGH, ELLA P. BLENUs. 

